Virus
| General Information | Strategy Guides Main Game - Cure Mode |
May 23, 2012
(Version 1.0)- « Virus are infectious agents around 150 nanometers in length. Only able to replicate inside the living cells of other organisms - their genetic makeup encourages unpredictable mutations. »
- — Description of Virus in Plague Inc.: The Board Game
Virus is a type of disease present in the Standard Plagues, characterised by a rather unstable structure that causes traits to evolve randomly. This pathogen possesses unique abilities that can help increase its mutation rate, making it much more likely to evolve many more symptoms in a short period of time, making it much more uncontrollable.
However, such mutations cost DNA to reverse, making it difficult for the pathogen to avoid being noticed by the international community during the infection phase.
Overview
Main Game
The main feature of this pathogen is its high mutation rate, which causes it to randomly mutate new symptoms from time to time, making the disease much easier to detect in the early stages of the game. These mutations can be devolved, but they cost DNA points, where each time this process is performed it will increase the cost of the next devolution.
Therefore, it is not recommended to neutralize most of these mutations, unless the Virus randomly acquires lethal traits early in the game, causing the disease to be categorized as a possible threat early in the game. This mechanic causes genes such as Ionised Helix for these pathogens to lose certain in-game benefits, where the gene can only partially reduce a small fraction of the devolution cost.
Another point to keep in mind is that there are other genes that can help reduce or increase the mutation rate for Virus, among them is Creationist, which partially reduces mutation used mainly in strategies that involve being much more stealthy and less perceived by the international community. On the opposite side of this spectrum is the Darwinist gene, which allows the virus to maximize its mutation rate, mainly used in much more aggressive strategies, causing the pathogen to acquire more traits in a short period of time.
Cure Mode
In this mode, the way in which Virus is detected is slightly different to the previous disease, which is Bacteria that can be detected immediately where in which region of the world the outbreak originated, but this mechanic changes when it comes to detecting the origin of an outbreak virus, the pathogen has a 'Highly Asymptomatic' trait which makes it much more difficult to identify, requiring investigation teams to cover much more ground and investigate further from country to country in order to find the outbreak. The only trait it has in common with Bacteria is that these pathogens do not require prior testing to initiate the vaccine development process.
Additionally, due to the fact that the Virus has no visible symptoms, it causes Contact Tracing systems to lose some of their effectiveness when executed. Another key aspect of having to isolate a Virus outbreak is that the player will have some difficulty in convincing the general public to follow the quarantines imposed, as much of the population thinks that this outbreak is just an annual flu, causing Non-Compliance Rates to rise much faster. It is necessary to use special operations such as Public Alert, which involves disseminating information about the seriousness of the disease, causing some people to take the outbreak more seriously and comply with quarantines.
In the event that the player doesn't take measures to reduce the Non-Compliance Rate, it will cause most countries to disregard the restrictions imposed, causing the outbreak to spread much further, and it will also reduce the level of Authority considerably, if it fails to intervene in time.
Multiplayer
- « A rapidly mutating pathogen which is extremely hard to control. Some mutations cause a trait to devolve! »
- — Official Description of Virus in Multiplayer Mode
The virus retains its ability to mutate and evolve, and gains the ability to mutate and devolve. It's also capable of devolving the transmission and ability trait even without Base Hydration (13% probability). Compared to other pathogens such as Bacteria, Virus has a 5% higher starting cure. Although it has slightly lower starting resistances for some environments. Also, the virus has a small disadvantage because in this mode it is more difficult for this type of disease to spread in rich countries, as it has a -0.005 adaption/effectiveness by default for these countries.
In Evolution of 20 of Plague Inc.: Evolved released in July 2016, some disease-related aspects were balanced, including virus' resistance towards cure.[1]
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| Stats | VS Mode | Co-op Mode |
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Special Ability
- Viral Instability. Causes the pathogen's DNA to become much more unstable, which further increases the number of random mutations to occur.
Special Operations
- Public Warning: This special operation consists of emphasizing that the recent outbreak of the virus is much more severe than a seasonal flu, generating increased points of authority based on public support.
- Public Alert: Vulnerable populations are informed about the seriousness of the virus to avoid possible new infections, making them take quarantine and at the same time reducing Non-Compliance.
Recommendations
The countries that are generally recommended to start with Virus are Saudi Arabia and Egypt because they have several air and sea routes in addition to the fact that these countries are located in Asia, Europe and Africa.[2][3] In the case that it is initiated in these nations, it is important to evolve air transmissions to reach different parts of the world through airplane contagion. In addition, due to the fact that the virus can mutate from time to time, infectious symptoms, among them cysts and other skin-affecting traits can help spread the infection quite widely, especially if combined with blood transmissions to give a strong contagion boost in poor areas as the virus spreads in Africa and Western Asia.[4]
Since the virus mutates so quickly it is very difficult for the disease to go unnoticed, but the player can use these mutations to their advantage, if they try to keep certain symptoms and adapt them to their strategy.[5] Evolving non-lethal but infection-enhancing symptoms such as Skin Lesions, Rash, Coughing, Sweating, and Sneezing in the middle of the game. When the island countries are infected, then evolve lethal symptoms such as Necrosis, Immune Suppression or Total Organ Failure.[6]
Trivia
- In June 2016, the Virus disease type was added to Plague Inc.: The Board Game. Among the abilities that this type of disease has in the board game, it includes Genetic Switch that allows the player to exchange one evolved card for another. Another ability is Random Mutation, which allows the player to evolve a trait card randomly at a discount.[7]
- The virus playable is said to have DNA; in real life, DNA viruses are relatively stable, while the RNA viruses are known to be genetically unstable, with differing degrees.
Stages of Evolution
Cure Mode Traits
- ↑ Fever: Increase in temperature, contagiousness and severe dehydration, which can be fatal
- ↑ Coughing: Chance of infection by spreading pathogen into surroundings. Increases infectivity
- ↑ Sneezing: Fluid discharge through sneezing greatly increases infection rates
- ↑ Systemic Infection: Pathogen affects multiple organs and tissue types, causing body-wide infections that spread fast and can be fatal
- ↑ Highly Asymptomatic: Many cases are asymptomatic but still contagious. Contact tracing is less effective
- ↑ Well Understood: Does not need to be analysed before control actions can be taken
- ↑ Pneumonia: Large swathes of infected tissue lose blood supply and become fatally gangrenous
Achievements
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Achievement Name: | Unlock Virus disease type | ||||
| Achievement Description: | Unlock the Virus by winning with a Bacteria on Normal or Brutal difficulty | |||||
| Value: | 20 pts | Difficulty: | Normal/Brutal | |||
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Achievement Name: | Virus Victory | ||||
| Achievement Description: | Win a game with Virus on Normal Difficulty or higher | |||||
| Value: | N/A | Difficulty: | Normal | |||
Gallery
In-Game
Virus' 3D Model in the PC Version
Disease's Old Icon used in the Early Builds of the Game
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Board Game
Virus Evolution Slide in the Plague Inc.: The Board Game
References
- ↑ "Evolution 20 - Multiplayer balance update" (2016-07-21). Steam Retrieved on April 25, 2022.
- ↑ Madanapalle, Aditya (2021-04-15). "Plague Inc strategies – Ensuring the extinction of humanity". Digit.in Retrieved on May 1, 2022.
- ↑ Alvaro, Simone (2020-02-03). "Plague inc. | Come vincere in ogni modalità". Player.it (in Italian) Retrieved on July 26, 2022.
- ↑ Banat, Omar (2022-03-05). "Plague Inc: How to Beat Virus on Normal". Twinfinite Retrieved on July 26, 2022.
- ↑ Pribitzer, Tamara (2021-12-08). "Plague Inc. gewinnen: Die besten Strategien". [Winning Plague Inc.: The Best Strategies] Chip (in German) Retrieved on April 22, 2022.
- ↑ "Прохождение игры Plague inc на среднем и кошмарном уровнях" (2020-06-17). MMOHelper.ru (in Russian) Retrieved on July 26, 2022.
- ↑ "Virus Disease Type Added" (2016-06-02). Ndemic Creations Official Website Retrieved on April 21, 2022.
External Resources
- General: Reddit - True Achievements - Steam Discussions - Steam Guides
- Regional: Naver Blogs (Korean) - Zhihu (Simplified Chinese)
